Critic Rating: 8.5/10

One of the hottest (pun intended) fried chicken spots on social media lately has been Peking House. Run by ex-Eleven Madison Park chef Eric Huang, it started as a delivery-only ghost kitchen, delivering fried chicken to New Yorkers on lockdown. However, it quickly became a sensation, and at one point their delivery waitlist grew to 10,000 people. So when we saw this internet sensation had a booth at EEEEEATSCON NYC at Forest Hills Stadium, we had to give it a try.

One of the things that set this hunk of fried chicken apart was how they spiced their chicken. Unlike many southern and the ever-popular Nashville fried chicken places that use dry spice powders to add heat, Peking House uses a housemade chili oil that they dip their whole pieces of fried chicken into. This chili oil was by far the star of the show. A perfect blend of spicy and flavorful, while not taking away the natural flavor of the chicken. It was a very fresh and elevated version of the chili oil you could find in many Chinese grocery stores. The chicken has a shatteringly crisp crust that leads into a very tender, juicy piece of meat. It was probably the best piece of hot chicken we have ever had, and we think the unique combination of fried chicken with chili oil, instead of the usual affair of dry spices and spicy mayo, makes this so craveable.

The chicken is served with a garlic aioli, which paired really well. It was light, creamy, and took the edge off the chicken without taking away its amazing spice. It also had a lovely light garlicky aftertaste. A perfect accompaniment.

All told, for $6 and a delicious hunk of spicy chicken, we were thoroughly impressed, and would definitely want to try their brick-and-mortar in Brooklyn someday.